INSULATOR MEANS FOR SUPPRESSING INTERFERENCE RADIATION IN AN ELECTRIC FIELD

Abstract: The invention relates to an insulator means for suppressing interference radiation in an electric field between abutting surfaces of two separate parts (20, 30) of a metallic device cabinet. The means (10) is formed by a spring element, at least the outer surface of which is made of an electrically conductive material, the spring element having two substantially parallel branches and being fastened to the part (20) to be insulated at least in one opening (22a) made in this part to project towards a contact surface (30a) of the opposite part (30).

Description: Insulator means for suppressing interference radiation in an electric field The invention relates to an insulator means for suppressing interference radiation in an electric field between abutting surfaces of two separate parts of a metallic device cabinet. In a telephone exchange, for instance, elec¬ tronic devices generating high-frequency current pulse create electromagnetic interference at radio frequency, which interference radiates to the environment and may be rather strong. For this interference level have been defined international standards to be fulfilled by telephone exchanges, for instance. Measurements have shown the need of suppression to be about 35 decibels. Since it is difficult and expensive to suppress interference in printed circuit cards, cables and con¬ tactors, electric insulation of a device cabinet is of decisive significance (cf. Faraday cage). This presup¬ poses that no long joints or openings are allowed in the shell structure of the device cabinet or they have to be insulated electrically by ensuring conductive contact points at sufficient intervals. The most difficult ob- jects of insulation are device cabinet doors to be opened. Many kinds of insulation solutions are commer¬ cially available. One such solution is known e.g. from Finnish Patent 79439. According to that, expensive metal insulators are used between parts to be insulated and, to provide a sufficient compressive force, pressed against surfaces to be insulated by means of a lever arm mechanism of a special structure, which makes it dif¬ ficult to shut the door to be insulated, for instance. Another known solution is disclosed by Finnish Patent 86788, in which to a profile at a frame of a de¬ vice cabinet is arranged an insulator of coil spring type having an angular cross-section, which insulator comes into contact with the edge of the door when the edge of the door is pushed into the profile. When the edge of the door is between one wall of the profile and the insulator, threadings of the insulator are in a slanting position, due to which the angular edges of the insulator are pressed both against the door and the other wall of the profile, thus providing a good metal¬ lic contact and a good electric insulation. However, this special arrangement is expensive and damageable. This is a bad solution also as far as the use is con¬ cerned, because shutting the door is difficult. In addi- tion, such sharp-edged doors are dangerous. On the other hand, U.S. Patent 5,107,071 dis¬ closes a sealing structure, in which in a cavity in one part to be sealed is placed a sealing member made of an electrically conductive material together with a member made of an elastic and deformable material pressing the sealing member tightly against the wall of the cavity and the other part to be sealed, when the other part to be sealed is pressed against said elastic and deformable member. However, considerably strong compressive forces are required to provide a good insulation. Additionally, this solution also has the drawback of being expensive. The object of the present invention is to elim¬ inate the drawbacks described above and to provide an efficient insulation in a simple manner. This object is achieved by means of an insulator means, which is ac¬ cording to the invention characterized in that the means is formed by a spring element, at least the outer sur¬ face of which is made of an electrically conductive material, the spring element having two substantially parallel branches and being fastened to the part to be insulated at least in one opening made in this part to project towards a contact surface of the opposite part. The insulator means according to the invention is very advantageous, because it can be manufactured in whole e.g. of round mosaic gold wire. Then the contact surface may also be shaped easily to a spotlike form, on account of which a reliable contact is provided by little spring force. A zinc electroplated planar sur¬ face, for instance, is sufficient for a contact surface. The means according to the invention can be fastened without separate fastening means, it is practically un¬ breakable and it is not sharp. Additionally, its two parallel branches prevent it efficiently from buckling sidewards. The invention will be described in the follow¬ ing by means of one preferred embodiment thereof refer¬ ring to the attached drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an insula¬ tor means according to the invention, Figure 2 shows the insulator means of Figure 1 mounted in a door of a metallic device cabinet, and Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a part of the door of the device cabinet of Figure 1, in which door are mounted insulator means according to Figure 1. An insulator means 10 shown in the figures is manufactured by bending one round wire of e.g. mosaic gold, behaving like a spring, the thickness of the wire being preferably about 0,8 mm. The means comprises two parallel L-shaped branches at a distance from each other, whereby branches 10a and 10b, being approximately perpendicular to each other, are mutually substantially parallel. The branches are in contact with each other by means of an intermediate portion 10c connecting the ends of the shorter branches 10b. Bends lOd projecting from the lines formed by the branches 10a are provided close to the ends of the longer branches 10a, the peaks of the bends acting as contact surfaces of the means. On the other hand, the intermediate portion 10c is pro¬ vided with a link lOe for fastening the means to the part to be insulated. Figures 2 and 3 show one or several insulator means 10 arranged in a door 20 of a metallic device cab¬ inet in such a way that each bend portion lOd projects from an opening 22a made in the door 20 for this purpose towards a contact surface 30a of an opposite frame 30 of the device cabinet. The door 20 comprises two parts 22 and 24 with¬ in each other, the insulator means 10, i.e. its longer branches 10a, being slipped into place through openings 22b made in an edge bend 22d of the inner part 22 of the door and the means being locked into place in an opening 22c situated lower in the edge bend 22d by means of the link lOe of the intermediate portion 10c. Additionally, the shorter branches 10b of the insulator means 10 stay tightly in the ready assembled door 20 between the edge bend 22d of the inner part 22 of the door and a respect¬ ive edge bend 24a of the outer part 24 of the door. Be¬ cause the insulator means 10 is thus locked firmly in place at its shorter branch portions 10b only, the longer branch portions 10a are freely resilient towards the hollow inside of the door 20. As is seen from Figure 3, a necessary number of insulator means 10, depending on the length of the joints of the door 20 to be insulated, are mounted in the door in parallel. In telephone exchanges, for in¬ stance, the distance between the contact points, i.e. the distance between the bend portions lOd of the insu¬ lator means 10 itself and those of the adjacent insula¬ tor means 10, has to be less than 30 mm. The invention has been described above by means of one preferred embodiment only. However, one skilled in the art is able to implement its details in a number of alternative manners within the scope of the attached claims. So, the means may have one branch or the number of branches may be higher than two, for instance. The means does not need to be manufactured of wire either, for the only essential thing is that a good contact by little spring force is provided. For example, a leaf spring having a spotlike contact portion projecting towards the contact surface would be conceivable. More¬ over, the means may be fastened in a freely selectable way, but still preferably in such a way that no separate fastenings are required. The means may also be position- ed in either one of the parts to be insulated and both parts to be insulated may comprise such means. The insu¬ lator means does not need to be made of an electrically conductive material in whole, but it may also be made of a non-conductive material coated with an electrically conductive material.

Claims: AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 11 October 1994 (11.10.94); original claims 1-5 replaced by amended claims 1-5 (1 page)] 1. An insulator means for suppressing interference radiation in an electric field between abutting surfaces of two separate parts (20, 30) of a metallic device cab¬ inet, the means (10) being formed by a spring element, at least the outer surface of which is made of an electric¬ ally conductive material, and the spring element being fastened to the part (20) to be insulated at least in one opening (22a) made in this part to project towards a con¬ tact surface (30a) of the opposite part (30) , c h a r ¬ a c t e r i z e d in that the means comprises two paral¬ lel substantially L-shaped branch portions at a distance from each other and that at least branches (10a) of the branch portions comprising contact surfaces are mutually substantially parallel. 2. An insulator means according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the contact surfaces of said branches (10a) are substantially spotlike. 3. An insulator means according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it is formed by a wire spring (10) having two branches, the branches (10a) of which, comprising the contact surfaces, have a bend por- tion (lOd) intended to project from said openings (22a) , and that a necessary number of springs (10) are intended to be mounted in parallel in the part (20) or parts to be insulated. 4. An insulator means according to claim 3 or 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it is fastened in openings (22b, 22c) made in the part (20) to be insulated. 5. An insulator means according to claim 3 or 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it is made of round 5 mosaic gold wire.

Inventors: SIRAINEN MARTTI, SIRAINEN, MARTTI
Applicants: NOKIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS OY, SIRAINEN MARTTI, SIRAINEN, MARTTI
Application year: 1994
Main classification: H05K9
IPC codes: H05K9